A village in north Norfolk has become the first in the North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) area to complete its Neighbourhood plan.

Eastern Daily Press: Corpusty and Saxthorpe are the first village in north Norfolk to complete their Neighbourhood plan. Picture: Tony BarnettCorpusty and Saxthorpe are the first village in north Norfolk to complete their Neighbourhood plan. Picture: Tony Barnett (Image: Tony Barnett)

The twinned villages of Corpusty and Saxthorpe were designated a Neighbourhood Planning Area under the government's Localism Act at the end of 2013 and since then, the council has been busy consulting and researching opinions and views about how the villages should be developed until 2030.

The Plan enables local communities to have better control over their area.

Key points are to protect the Village Green and large open space around the village Hall. To protect the wide country views characteristic of the area and to provide affordable homes to ensure the young people can live in the village and to provide housing to support the aging generation.

Parish Councillor Tony Barnett said: 'This is very exciting, Instead of being just an area the Parish Council now has a tiny piece of power over what happens to our village.

'We have had an approach from a developer who is already asking for a copy of the plan before we have even finished it.

'The council is going to be firm on what we want. We do not want clover leaf developments. We want something that is much more interesting and appropriate to the social planning that we have underlined in the Neighbour Hood plan.'

On April 28, there will be an open consultation, exhibition and Q&A session at the Village Hall on the Heydon Road between 5pm and 9pm the with Q&A between 7.30pm and 8.00pm.

The plan will be sent to an inspector to see if it meets legal requirements before being voted on by residents.

A draft of the plan can be found here.